Too Late
by Ares' Warrior Babe
Summary: She looked up at him and felt the tears fall down her face. “It’s too late.” She whispered softly.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay so I only have seen the third season of Bones. So Tempe may be a little OOC, but for the purpose of this story, she has to be. It's angsty and I thought about it when I heard the song "Apologize" by OneRepublic. **

**Reviews are like crack to me!**

**This is supposed to be a one-shot. But depending on whether or not my twin kills me, I may write more to it.**

Five years since she left. Five years since she's seen his smiling face. Five years since she's felt safe and loved.

Angela told her he married Rebecca and now he had a little girl. She wanted to be happy for him. He finally got what he wanted.

But she wondered if she would go back, if he would still love her.

**xXx**

She drove to his house today, an address unfamiliar to her. As she sat in her car she saw a little girl with long brown hair run to Booth. She faintly heard her say, "Daddy!" And squeal with laughter as he tickled her stomach.

One moment he looked up and she swore he was looking into her eyes. But the thought was dismissed as Rebecca walked up and kissed him. The couple and their child went inside and Temperance thought about leaving.

But her body had a mind of its own. She moved out of her car and up to the porch. The doorbell rang softly. _'What if Rebecca answers the door? What if Booth doesn't want to see me? What if-'_ Her thoughts were cut off as the door opened. Standing in front of her was the love of her life. She took a deep breath. "Hi."

Booth stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him. His face didn't show any emotion. "What are you doing here?"

Temperance swallowed the lump in her throat. "I came to see you." She looked down at her feet and began to study them. "I shouldn't have come." She whispered out.

"Then why did you?" Temperance looked up and saw hurt in his eyes.

"I shouldn't have ran. I know I shouldn't have. But I was scared. I kept thinking that you would leave me or that you weren't really in love with me. I thought that if I stayed away from you that you wouldn't effect me anymore. But I was wrong." She took a deep breath. "I kept thinking of you and wondering what would've happened if I stayed." A tear escaped her eye. "And I just wanted to come here and tell you that I love you. And I know I won't get a chance to say that to you again. I just…I needed you to know."

Booth walked closer to her and pulled her into a tight hug.

A moment later she pulled away. She looked up at him and felt the tears fall down her face. "It's too late." She whispered softly. He nodded slightly. "Goodbye Booth."

"Bye Bones."

He watched her walk down the path to her car. "I still love you." He whispered to her retreating form.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. So I had my friend and twin, Hailey, read it and at first she was going to kill me, but now she's just holding it against me. She says I have to fix it. So that is what I'm doing. I'm fixing it…kinda.**

**xXx**

**xXx**

It had been three days since he had seen her. Booth was afraid. This could be his only chance to be with her. But he couldn't do that to Rebecca or to his kids. It would crush them.

But Temperance was the woman he was in love with. He believed that she was his soul mate. Could he really live without her?

'_Yes,'_ he thought. _'I've been living without her for five years.'_ But for those five years he had a pain in his heart. And everyday he was without her it grew stronger.

Booth looked out the window and noticed the rain falling down. They reminded him of the teardrops he saw on her face. He made up his mind. He loved her. He missed her. But most of all, he needed her.

**xXx**

**xXx**

She was sitting on a park bench all alone in the dark. The rain had been falling faster and harder. She was soaking wet when he saw her, but he didn't care. He still thought she looked beautiful.

Booth walked up to her and pulled her off the bench. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "I can't live without you."

Brennan relished in the hug. She was back in his arms and she felt safe. "Bones I need you here with me. I need," Booth took a deep breath. "I need to be with you somehow." He pulled back from the hug and she immediately missed his warmth. "But I can't leave Rebecca and the kids. They don't deserve to be hurt like that."

Bones took a sharp breath. _'He isn't going to leave her? What about me?' _"Maybe, maybe we could just be friends?" She felt her heart break as he nodded.

"I missed you so much Bones." He hugged her again. Bones let herself cry and hoped that he couldn't distinguish her tears from the falling rain.

**xXx**

**xXx**

Booth walked into his house dripping with rain. "Where were you daddy?" His two-year-old daughter asked from her spot on the couch.

"Hey Echo, shouldn't you be asleep by now?" The little girl gave him a sweet smile.

"That's what mommy thinks I'm doing right now. But mommy's the one who's asleep." She blinked her brown eyes. "Daddy will you tell me a story?"

"Sure. Just let me get changed and I'll tell you a story." He walked out of the living room and into his bedroom where he changed silently. **(stop drooling over his body!)** As he walked back into the living room he heard his daughter talking.

"My brother tells me 'bout you. He says that daddy loves you but the you went 'way an' daddy was vewry sad." Echo looked up at her dad. "Hi daddy! Bones is nice!" She handed him the cell phone and walked back to the couch.

"Bones, I'm so sorry. I didn't think she would play with my phone." Booth began apologizing.

"It's okay Booth. She was just telling me some stories. She said she was waiting for you to tell her a story."

"Yeah, I guess I should do that." He sighed. "Do you wanna grab breakfast tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." She replied.

"I'll call you tomorrow Bones." He hung up the phone and looked at his daughter. She looked up at him innocently.

"Did I do something wrong daddy?"

Booth sighed. His daughter seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble. Just like a certain anthropologist he knew. "No, you didn't."

"Daddy, why do you call her Bones?" Echo asked sweetly.

"It's her nickname I gave her. Just like you have the nickname Echo."

"Can you tell stories of you and Bones? Please?" She pouted.

Booth smiled at his daughter. "Okay." Booth and Echo stayed up late into the night talking about Bones. Occasionally his daughter would giggle when he would tell her things that Bones didn't know. When he finished telling her a story she would ask questions and listen intently to his answers.

"Daddy can I go with you to breakfast tomorrow to meet Bones?"

"I don't know baby girl…I'll think about it okay? But for now, you need to go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired!" The little girl protested. Booth ignored her glare and picked her up. As soon as she was in his arms, she was asleep. 'She is just like Bones.' He thought as he tucked her in.

"I love you." He whispered softly before going back to the living room and fell asleep on the couch.

**xXx**

**xXx**

**So that's chapter two. I thought it would be cute to have a little Booth/Mini-Booth interaction. Isn't she just adorable though? Review and you'll get another update soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay to my reviewers, thank you. And no, I didn't plan for my story to end exactly when the song ended. . . . that's just pure luck! Haha! Now someone asked what Echo's real name is and in this chapter you get to find out!**

Rebecca woke up along. She sighed quietly and went to check on her kids. Parker was already up playing video games in his room. Slowly she gazed around the room for her daughter. "Where's Avery?"

Parker shrugged. "Still sleeping, I guess."

Rebecca went to Avery's room. She found it odd that her daughter was still sleeping. Usually Avery slept for three hours, then stayed up for the rest night. "Avery," she whispered to the sleeping child. "Avery," she tried again. "Echo."

The little girl opened her eyes and glared at her mother. "Don't call me Echo! That's daddy's special name for me!"

Rebecca sighed. _'This is going to be a long day.'_ She thought.

**xXx**

**xXx**

Booth woke up to a strange weight on his chest. Opening his eyes cautiously, he saw his daughter sitting on him. "Hi daddy!" She greeted happily.

"Hey kiddo. How long have you been up?" He asked as he sat up.

"I just woke up! I slept all night daddy!" She said in an amazed voice. She motioned for him to come closer. "Daddy, can I come with you to meet Bones?"

"I guess. Go ask Parker if he wants to come." Avery shook her head no. "Why not?" Booth asked.

"Parker's mad at her." She replied.

"Why is Parker mad at her?"

Avery shrugged. "He just said he's mad at her. Daddy can I get pancakes?"

Booth nodded. "Lets get you dressed so I can call Bones."

"Call Bones…" She said then giggled.

"Crazy Echo." Booth said.

"Crazy Echo." Avery repeated. She screamed and ran down the hall as Booth chased her. Avery ran into Parker's room. "Park! Help me!"

Parker smiled at his little sister. "Hide under the bed! Quick!" Avery nodded, then scurried under the bed as Booth walked in.

"Where's Avery at?" He asked Parker.

Parker tried not to smile. "I don't know…"

"Don't make me tickle it out of you!" Booth threatened.

"I'll never tell!" Parker screamed, laughing at the game he and his father were playing.

Booth walked over to Parker and began to tickle him. The little boy squealed in delight. Avery popped her head out from under Parker's bed. "Daddy, look where I am!"

Both Parker and Booth looked at Avery before looking back at each other. "Get her!" They both said. Avery giggled as they tickled her. After a few minutes of tickling they stopped. "Okay, Echo you need to get dressed."

She sighed. "Okay daddy" She didn't move from the bed.

Booth looked back to Parker. "I'm going to take Avery to breakfast to meet Bones, you want to come?" Parker shook his head. "Why not?"

"I'm mad at her." Booth kept looking at him. Parker didn't elaborate.

"We'll talk about this later, okay?" Parker nodded. Booth turned back to Avery. He picked her up and carried her to her room. "Okay little girl, you need to be dressed." Booth pulled out a pair of jeans and a dark red long sleeve shirt for his daughter. He quickly got her dressed and the pulled out his cell phone.

"_Brennan."_

"Hey Bones, we still on for breakfast?" Booth asked.

"_Yeah."_

"Okay, but my daughter wants to come."

"_That's fine."_

"Okay, we'll meet you at the diner. Bye Bones." Booth turned back to his daughter. "I'm going to go get changed and then we'll leave, okay." Avery nodded. He walked out of his daughter's room and changed into jeans and a black t-shirt. _'Just like old times.'_ He thought as he went back into Avery's room. "Come on crazy girl." Avery ran up and jumped into her father's awaiting arms. As they passed through the living room Booth paused. "Hey Rebecca," The blond woman poked her head out from the kitchen. "I'm taking the munchkin out for a little." She nodded, wonder where he was going.

**xXx**

**XxX**

Booth walked into the diner carrying his giggling daughter when he spotted Bones sitting at 'their' table. "Hey Bones." He greeted softly. Her blue eyes looked up to meet his.

"Hey." Avery squirmed to be put down.

"Daddy, what about me?"

Booth looked to his daughter. "Bones, this is Avery. Avery, this is Temperance." Brennan smiled at the little girl.

"Hi Bones!" Avery said, calling her by her nickname. "Guess what? I've got a special nickname from daddy too! It's Echo 'cause I always copy what he says!" Both adults smiled at her.

"I think Echo is a really cute nickname." Brennan told her.

"You can call me Echo too, but no one else. Only you and daddy." Avery smiled. "Hey daddy, can we get some french fries with the pancakes?"

Brennan rolled her eyes. _'She eats like her father.'_ "I don't know kiddo. I don't think mommy would be happy to know I fed you fries for breakfast."

Avery gave him her puppy dog face. "I won't tell if you don't."

"Fine, we'll get some fries." He turned to Bones. "But you're getting your own plate."

"What? I don't even want fries!" She retorted.

"Yeah until we get them and you start stealing them." She glared at him.

Avery tugged on Brennan's pant leg. She bent down to the little girl. "I'll give you some fries." She said seriously. Brennan smiled. Booth smiled at the waitress and ordered for everyone. While they waited for their food, Avery asked questions. "Daddy, am I really like Bones?"

Brennan looked at Booth while Booth looked at his daughter. "Where'd you get that idea, Echo?"

"I heard mommy talking on the phone and she said that I was too much like your partner and she didn't like that." She replied.

"Does mommy know you hear her talking on the phone?" Avery shook her head. Booth sighed. "Yes, you are like Bones."

"How daddy?" Avery asked.

"Yeah, how?" Brennan echoed.

'_This is going to get me hurt somehow, I just know it.'_ Booth thought. "Well, you're both smart and stubborn."

"Uh-huh, keep going…" Avery said, loving the compliments she was getting.

"Um, you both have beautiful blue eyes, you never sleep, and you're constantly trying to figure something out. And you both find trouble way too easily." Booth sighed in relief as their food came.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?" He winced, afraid to know what his daughter was going to ask.

"You sad we both have beautiful blue eyes. Does that mean you think she's beautiful?"

"Avery, eat your breakfast." Booth said while ducking his face from Brennan. Bones smiled at the little girl's antics.

"Come on, Booth. Don't you think I'm beautiful?" She asked teasingly.

"Bones, do not encourage her." She smiled again.

Avery giggled at her dad and Bones. "You think she's sexy, you want to kiss her." She sang to Miss Congeniality.

"You are never watching Miss Congeniality again." Booth groaned as his daughter sang.

**xXx**

**XxX**

**So that was chapter three! And if I do say so myself, I love Avery! She's a cutie! And she loves trouble!**


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